We know what’s circulating in your minds: here’s another crazy match up between a BMW and a Honda—an uneven match-up, much like letting Mike Tyson go against Yukozuna. On paper, there’s actually nothing the same with the Honda Accord and the BMW 523i: the German is rear-wheel drive, powered by an inline-6 and costs three million bucks. On the other hand, the Accord is the typical exec-sedan of choice offering front-wheel drive, powered by an inline-4 and priced at half of the Bimmer’s list price.

Monday, February 5, 2001

Niche market vehicles are usually developed as an afterthought. Sure, manufacturers have to develop a new shell and body panels, but essentially, the basic frame and the engine were all sourced from existing parts. The story is no different when the cute-as-button mini-SUVs began to invade the market. The Toyota RAV4 for instance used a modified Corolla chassis and was powered by a Corona engine. On the other hand, the Honda CR-V was based on the Civic chassis and engine.

The battlefield of the 1.6-liter sedans has never been this big. Long before, people had only two choices: the Mitsubishi Lancer and the Toyota Corolla. Pretty soon, other car manufacturers came into the picture offering their own brand of compact-sized family car. Now, the field has no less than seven competitors: Chevrolet Cassia, Ford Lynx, Honda Civic, Mazda 323, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla. This huge array of choices makes buying a compact-sized sedan much more difficult than shopping for hotdogs at a local supermarket.